---
title: "Write skinny scaffolds and generators"
author: "Yaroslav Shmarov"
date: "2020-11-09"
canonical_url: "https://blog.superails.com/skinny-rails-generators"
markdown_url: "https://blog.superails.com/skinny-rails-generators.md"
description: "TLDR 1: You can disable scaffolds from generating certain files in your app config: TLDR 2: add a few --no tags to your rails generators to produce only the…"
tags: ["ruby-on-rails"]
license: "GNU AGPL v3. Credit Yaroslav Shmarov and link the canonical URL."
---

# Write skinny scaffolds and generators

**TLDR 1:**

You can disable scaffolds from generating certain files in your app config:

```diff
# config/initializers/generators.rb
Rails.application.config.generators do |g|
  g.assets false
  g.helper false
  g.test_framework false
  g.jbuilder false
end
```

**TLDR 2:** add a few `--no` tags to your rails generators to produce only the crucial files:

`rails g controller home index --no-helper --no-assets --no-controller-specs --no-view-specs --no-test-framework`

`rails g scaffold product name description:text --no-helper --no-assets --no-controller-specs --no-view-specs --no-test-framework --no-jbuilder`

****

Now, Let's dive in and make our rails generators cleaner!

# **Skinny Scaffold Generator**

A usual scaffold like 
```
rails g scaffold product name description:text
``` 
produces:

* Migration
* Model
* View
* Controller
* Tests
* Helpers
* Stylesheets
* jbuilder

![dirty scaffold](https://blog.superails.com/assets/2020-11-09-skinny-rails-generators/dirty scaffold.png)

That's a lot! However you won't be needing most of these in most hobby applications. 

A shorter scaffold would be:

```
rails g scaffold product name description:text --no-helper --no-assets --no-controller-specs --no-view-specs --no-test-framework --no-jbuilder
```
that produces:

* Migration
* Model
* View
* Controller

![clean scaffold](https://blog.superails.com/assets/2020-11-09-skinny-rails-generators/clean scaffold.png)

Much cleaner! Bravo!

# **Skinny Controller Generator**

A usual command like 
```
rails g controller home index
```
produces:

* Controller
* Views
* Helper
* Stylesheet
* Tests

![dirty controller generator](https://blog.superails.com/assets/2020-11-09-skinny-rails-generators/dirty controller generator.png)

That's a lot! And you won't need most of it for a basic hobby app! 

Let's modify our generator and run:

```
rails g controller home index --no-helper --no-assets --no-controller-specs --no-view-specs --no-test-framework
```
That produces only:

* Controller
* Views

![clean controller generator](https://blog.superails.com/assets/2020-11-09-skinny-rails-generators/clean controller generator.png)

Much cleaner, and does not create mess that you will likely not be using!

****

# **Relevant links**

* [Official docs - Creating and Customizing Rails Generators & Templates](https://guides.rubyonrails.org/generators.html){:target="blank"}

`rails g scaffold product name description:text`

`rails g scaffold product name description:text --no-helper --no-assets --no-controller-specs --no-view-specs --no-test-framework --no-jbuilder `